If you have the smallest amount of adventurous spirit, you will have to decide whether you are going to the Osa Peninsula for a day just to say that you’ve been there, or whether you are going to stay longer to enjoy everything it has to offer. If the latter, set aside the rest of your life. Many of the places in the vicinity are mentioned elsewhere but they are worth repeating in the context of Osa.
On the Drake Bay side of the peninsula, you have access to Corcovado National Park & Caño Island Biological Reserve where you will have forests, waterfalls, pools as well as some of the best scuba diving, snorkelling and sport fishing (outside the biological reserve) around. Try not to miss the mysterious stone spheres. In the national park, there are macaws, monkeys, jaguars, pumas, sloths, and because of these you will need a guide.On the east side is the Golfo Dulce with its beaches and a mix of on land and marine activities. In the rain forest are anteaters, agouti, coati mundi, margays, jaguars, Morpho butterflies, ocelots and Poison Dart frogs.
A guide is necessary. Don’t forget Puerto Jiminez and Piedras Blancas National Park. Both have rain forests and lovely beaches. Most inshore activities are available , including dolphin watching, paddle-boarding, snorkelling and kayaking.
Naturalists will be delighted when they visit the Osa Peninsula as it contains half of all life species found in the country.
The Corcovado National Park is one of the most impressive wildlife viewing spots in the whole of Costa Rica and a beautiful swathe of pure rainforest that earns the name ‘the most biologically intense place on earth'. For charter guests wanting to see everything from macaws to monkeys, a visit to the Sirena Ranger Station is a must. Brimming with rustic charm, this little airstrip and collection of cabins and buildings with a huge and wildly romantic wrap-around porch is the perfect place for rocking in a chair and admiring the chattering spider monkeys and tapirs. There are endless hikes to choose from that criss-cross through the virginal rainforest with cooling hues and exotic animal cries. With over 140 different mammals and 370 different species of birds, you cannot help but be enchanted by this ethereal canopied world.
Not a place for the tourist who wants to be pampered, Bahia Drake, or Drake bay as it is also known, is for the adventurous traveller. For a start, there is no dock and a wet landing is guaranteed. With its rocky coastline, there are some really magnificent white beaches. For snorkelling and diving, visit Cano Island where you will also encounter whales, dolphins and sea turtles. In the nearby Parque Nacional Corcovado, you will see howler monkeys and vividly coloured macaws, both very loud creatures. A camera is essential. As you would expect, fishing in the bay is very good.
The Isla del Cano is one of the prime destinations in Drake Bay (Bahia Drake) with most of its attractions being beneath the surface of the sea. Access to the island itself is limited to one hundred people at a time, with one session in the morning and another in the afternoon. Once you’re on the island itself, there are many restrictions designed to ensure that it maintains its pristine condition.
The number of divers is also limited but any wait is well worth it. Being in a nature reserve, fishing is prohibited as is removal of any other flora or fauna on or around the island. When you are diving, you are likely to see a selection of barracudas, dolphins, humpback whales, moray eels, rays, sea turtles, sharks, tuna, and other aquatic species. Cano is a place where a camera is essential for taking photographs above and below the waterline.
Puerto Jiminez has become a hub for tourists at Corcovado National Park. Hiking in and around the town will be a memorable tour in itself. Along the waterfront, you may see dolphins, whales, and turtles, while a short distance away, there may well be macaws, parrots, monkeys, squirrels, and perhaps even a crocodile or two. If not getting around on foot, cycling is a good next-best.
If you fish inshore, you may catch grouper, jacks, roosterfish, snooker, or one of several types of snapper. Offshore fishermen can go after mahi-mahi, marlin, sailfish, and tuna. The town has several restaurants serving a variety of mainly local and Latin food, and there is also some good night entertainment.
Punta Adela is located in Costa Rica's Golfe Dulco, home to some of the best snorkeling spots. On these beautiful shores, charter guests can don their snorkel masks and duck beneath the blue to admire the brain-head coral reefs and scores of tropical fish, including butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and triggerfish. The majestic underwater rock pinnacles and super warm sea temperatures make snorkeling here a truly stunning experience.
Golfito has something which is very attractive to tourists, a duty-free shopping area. It is the gateway to the Pavones, which offers some of the best surfing in the world in quality of waves and length of ride. Getting there involves a bit of a trek but keen surfers will not mind this at all.
There are many diverse activities including scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, whale watching, hiking in the tropical rainforest and horseback riding, In the water, you will enjoy the coral reefs and are likely to encounter dolphins, manta rays, whales, sharks, and turtles.